The present invention relates to a device for distributing interrupts for updating messages and commands to individual computers of a secure multi-computer system. A publication by the firm Standard Elektrik Lorenz SELMIS, 1974.12822 discloses a three-channel computer system having a so-called interrupt controller, by means of which interrupts are entered into the three individual computers at the same time to interrupt the programs running at that time. Certain interrupts are only accepted when they fulfill the two-out-of-three condition, (i.e., when at least two of the three computers have supplied the proper control signals to interrupt the program). In dependence upon the significance of the bit position of the pending interrupt at the time, the interrupt output is delayed by specified delay times when only two of the three computers have actually emitted the appropriate control signals. The interrupt controller is a central module shared by all of the computers. Disturbances in the functioning performance of the interrupt module have an effect on the entire computer system and adversely affect both the integrity as well as the reliability of the computer system.
German Published Patent Application No. 34 31 169 discloses a method for synchronizing several parallel-working computers, wherein the computers synchronize their program runs by way of interrupts. To this end, each computer makes interrupt demands of itself and of its partner computers when certain programming points are reached. These interrupt demands only lead to an interrupt and, thus, to a synchronization of the program runs in the computers when they satisfy the two-out-of-three condition. It cannot be inferred from the afore-mentioned German Published Patent Application how process-initiated interrupts, i.e., messages and commands, are distributed to the computers and phased into the data processing of the computers.